Scott Morrison has flagged moving Australia’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, copying Donald Trump’s controversial proposal, in a shift that appears timed to coincide with the Wentworth byelection.

Guardian Australia understands moving the embassy was discussed when Malcolm Turnbull was prime minister, and Julie Bishop was foreign affairs minister, given Trump’s position – but the shift was dismissed out of hand as being not in Australia’s interests because it would counter the two-state solution, and also upset the relationship with Indonesia.